Crystal Power
by HoneyFlower15
Summary: Kevin gets a shock when he learns his father had a twin brother who has come to earth to pay him a visit. He even has a cousin named Alona who can absorb energy and not lose her sanity. Kevin wants to learn this ability so he can become stronger. Gwevin.
1. Chapter 1

"Man, this is so unfair." Ben groaned from the backseat of Kevin's car. Arms crossed and pout on his face to show how upset he was.

Gwen rolled her eyes at her cousin's behavior. "Stop complaining Ben," she closed her laptop, leaning back in the passenger's side seat and sighed. "It's just one family dinner party. It's not like it's going to kill you."

Ben scoffed, "Do you not remember Grandpa's cooking?" she did and Gwen gave a small shudder at the thought of eating her grandfather's cooking. Both Tennyson's stomachs were already churning at the thought. "Besides Sumo Slammer The Movie is playing tonight and I can't miss it," Ben leaned forward, a wide grin on his face. "Come on Kevin, let's drop Gwen off at her house and then head over to yours and watch Sumo Slammer: Fight For Justice and Might!"

"No." Kevin used one hand and pushed him away in the backseat, making a sharp left so he wouldn't come back up to the front. "That show is stupid and lame and I'm not watching it again." he could remember the first time he watched it and how bored and pathetic he felt. That show was so stupid, he didn't know how it stayed on the air.

Ben rubbed his cheek, he hit it against the window when Kevin turned. "Party-Pooper." he huffed, crossing his arms again and glaring at the back of Kevin's head.

"Whatever." Kevin saw his glare but that didn't both him in the least. He's seen worst and lived through them all.

Gwen rolled her eyes at how the two guys were acting and let a smile come onto her face. "Why don't you join us, Kevin?" she reached out to her boyfriend, her hand going over his on the wheel. "My dad and grandpa said you're more than welcome to come and it'll be a lot more fun with you there." her smile widen when Kevin held onto her hand. It was slow, but they were becoming closer and closer to being like a real couple. They've been holding hands a lot more and a few extra kisses here and there. Gwen was happy with how their relationship was going and if she had to guess she would say that Kevin was happy too.

"Thanks, but no thanks." Kevin dropped them both off at Gwen's house. "But someone's gotta stay on guard while you guys are off eating at your little dinner party. I'm pretty sure both your parents won't let you guys leave if there's an attack." Ben agreed with him there, his parents were still nervous about him fighting dangerous aliens and it was no secret that Gwen's mother wasn't a fan of her powers or what she did. They both knew Kevin was right and if there was an attack they wouldn't be allowed to leave.

"Are you sure?" Gwen tried again.

He nodded, "Yeah, I'm sure. How about instead tomorrow we hang out. You know, without Ben." he sent a glare of his own but the brunette merely shrugged his shoulders and grinned.

"Tomorrow?" Gwen bit her bottom lip and Kevin knew what that meant. "I'm busy tomorrow."

He sighed, trying to keep his cool. Lately whenever he asked Gwen to hang out with him she was always saying she's busy. "Ok, so how about the day after. We could go to the beach?"

She bit her lip once more and looked away for a moment. "I can't."

"Let me guess, you're busy?" Kevin felt his eyebrow start to twitch and his anger rising. He was getting tired of always hearing that she was busy. She was his girlfriend but they hardly ever have any alone time and even when they do it's usually cut short because of some big bad alien that suddenly decided to invade earth. You would think they would have learned by now that they would never win and just leave the planet and everyone on it all alone.

"I'm sorry." she tried to give him a reassuring smile but he refused to look at her.

"Yeah right," he gripped his steering wheel to keep himself from yelling at her. "If you don't want to spend time with me then just say so." that had to be the reason why. What other reason was there for her not wanting to spend any time with him. As far as he knew he hadn't done anything that would make her angry with him and it wasn't like he forgot something important like her birthday or anything else like that. So what else was there expect that she didn't like him anymore and didn't want to be with him.

"That's not it," she tried reacting out to him but he pulled himself away from her touch. "Kevin it's not that I don't want to spend time with you, I like being with you. It's just..." she stopped, not sure how to finish this sentence without it blowing up in her face.

"Just what?" he raised an eyebrow at her, waiting for her to give him a good reason why she suddenly wanted to avoid him so badly.

She moved her eyes to her lap where her hands were playing with the hem of her skirt. "I'm just really busy and I have a project that I need to focus on." She hoped he would accept that answer.

"What kind of project?" he was curious now. He was sure if it was a school project he would have heard her talking about it before but this is the first time it has ever come up.

"Just a project that needs my complete attention." she got out of the car before he could ask her anymore questions.

With the front seat clear Ben pushed it down so he could get out of the car and away from the awkward moment he was forced to sit and watch. Watching a couple fight is really awkward. "Hold it!" Kevin grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and pulled him back in his car. "Do you know anything about why Gwen is avoiding me or about this so called "project" that she's working on?" he didn't fully believe Gwen's story and since she wasn't talking he was going to ask the next best person. Her cousin that always seems to be around and never leaves.

Ben pulled Kevin away from his jacket before he ripped it, and him, in two. "Nope, I don't know anything." he grinned and got out of the car.

Kevin scoffed and returned to gripping the steering wheel. "That's the understatement of the year."

"See ya, Kevin." Ben waved off his friend and ran to his aunt and uncle's house. He wondered if they had any fruit. He was craving fruit suddenly, probably because he hadn't a smoothie all day.

"Later." Kevin just gave a small wave.

With Ben gone, Gwen stuck her head in the passenger's window and leaned in closer to her boyfriend. "Are you sure you don't want to join us?" Gwen asked again, hoping he would change his mind. She hated the thought of him being all alone, especially now that they just had a fight. She knew that he didn't have any other friends besides her, Ben, and Julie. Cooper didn't like him because she was dating him and they didn't have any other plumber's kids around for him to hang out with. "I promise we'll keep all of grandpa Max's cooking away from you. We can even make Ben eat our shares." she tried, hoping the thought of seeing her cousin go through some form of humiliation would get him to agree. She knew he liked watching Ben make a fool of himself, and it was no secret that she liked watching it too.

With a smile, Kevin reached for one of her hands again and intertwined their fingers. No matter how much he was angry he could never stay angry to long when it came to Gwen. Something about her calmed him and made him feel happy. It was an effect he's learned to love and cherish. "Thanks but I'm good. Like I said, one of us has to stay on patrol and besides it's a family dinner party and last I check I wasn't a Tennyson." he grinned at her, slowly pulling her closer to him.

Gwen just laughed. "Is that such a bad thing." her eyes were closing and so were his. Their faces were growing closer and closer together, lips ready to kiss each other. They were ready to share a special moment together.

"Gwen!" The moment was ruined before it even started. "Come on! I don't have your keys and I can't break into places like Kevin! Hurry up, I'm starving!" Ben cried, waving his arms around wildly.

The couple groaned at his stupid antics and the fact that he ruined their kiss. "Yeah, being a Tennyson is bad thing if it means acting like him." Gwen silently agreed. Her cousin was acting like such an idiot right now and it was so embarrassing. Also, it was pretty annoying.

"Gwen!" Ben called again and both just groaned at him. "Gwen! _Gwen!_ **Gwen!**" Ben kept calling, in all different voices. Each one more annoying than the last.

"Alright!" she threw him her keys just so he would shut up.

"Thank you." He grinned, opening the door and running inside to get some fruit.

Gwen just shook her head and sighed. Well that moment she and Kevin were having was over and it left her feeling disappointed. "I'll see you later." she gave him a gentle smile and waved.

"Ok," Kevin returned the smile. "I'll call you later tonight." he hoped she would be willing to sneak out with him to see a late night movie. Maybe Sumo Slammer was lame but there were tons of movies out that they could see together. Ones that weren't a cartoon and not stupid.

With Gwen inside her house Kevin drove home, breaking all speeding laws and outrunning one cop car. He didn't have a license's plate so they couldn't track him and he was known for his speed. No car, or other vehicle, could ever beat him in a speed race. "Now what to do?" he was sitting outside his house, staring up at his car's ceiling. He just got home and he was already bored.

He didn't know anyone else he could call and ask to hang out. The only other person he could think of that wasn't busy was Julie and he didn't really talk to the girl. She was nice enough but she was Ben's girlfriend, or he thinks she is because their whole fight was a big blur to him. All he knew was that she didn't like how Ben was acting and didn't talk to him or something like that.

Cooper hated him because Gwen was his girlfriend and he doubted he would have anything to talk about with the computer geek anyways. He didn't think the kid was into cars and even if he was there was no way he was letting him touch his ride. No one touches it but him, and maybe Gwen. He knew that she wouldn't damage his car and he could at least trust her not to destroy it like everyone else seems to do.

With a long sigh he leaned down in his car. "Guess I'll work on my car." He had been trying to install some new weapons all week but he hadn't been able to because they had to fight some rouge aliens. "Food first." he heard his stomach growl from hunger and headed inside his house. He hoped his mother had cooked, she has been going out the past few nights to be with her lame book club and he had been left to not set the house on fire. His first night alone in the kitchen had left with him leaving a dishtowel to close to the stove and it caught fire, setting the kitchen up in flames. It wasn't his fault he didn't know how to cook, and the fire department said it could have happened to anyone. "Hey mom? I'm home." he called, entering his home and praying even if his mother had gone out there was a plate of food for him to microwave.

"Welcome home, Kevin." he heard his mother's soft voice and saw her sitting on one of their couches, drinking a cup of tea, but she wasn't alone.

"Yes, hello Kevin."

Kevin felt his body go numb, eyes as wide as plates and his mouth kept opening and closing. "Dad?" he nearly fell over as he stared at the man that looked so much like his father that it wasn't funny. This man has jet black hair and eyes just like his father, the body looked the same and even the voice sounded so much like the voice he hears every time he dreams of his long deceased father.

"Close," his father look-alike smiled and stood up from his car and walked towards Kevin. "I'm Marvin Levin. I'm your father's younger twin brother." he grinned, patting his now known nephew on the shoulder.

"His brother?" Kevin's mind was still a blank but it was slowly coming back for him to form sentences. "Dad had a twin?" they may not be full sentences but they were at least understandable.

"Yes," his mother nodded. "I've only met Marvin on a couple occasions but yes he is your father's twin."

Marvin patted Kevin's shoulder again and guided his nephew's still frozen body over to the couch where they had been sitting. "I've been living on our home planet Osmos V so it's natural you don't know me nor do you remember me. After all when your father brought you for a visit on our home planet you were only three years old."

"Wait? What?" Kevin didn't know about any of this. He hadn't known he had gone to the planet his father had been born from. "You never told me this." he looked to his mother, wanting answers.

She gave a sad smile. "Because I know how remembering your father hurts you and I didn't want you to be upset for not remembering or to have you think I was lying."

Kevin frowned. "I would have believed you." he muttered.

"I know and I'm sorry." his mother put a reassuring hand on his knee.

"Ah, such a lovely moment," Marvin grinned. "I can't wait for you and your cousin to meet. Than it shall become a real family reunion."

Kevin felt his mind shut down again. "Cousin?" his mind instantly thought of Ben and Gwen and he hoped that whoever his cousin was, it wouldn't turn out to be like Ben or have the two of them arguing like his two friends always did as kids.

Marvin nodded happily. "My daughter, Alona. She's eighteen, only a year older than you and she travelled with me from our planet to pay a visit to her favorite cousin."

"You're overdoing it again, dad." a female voice was heard from above and Kevin turned his head to the stairs and saw a girl with long black hair and light hazel eyes come walking down the steps of his home. She had on a dark blue shirt with a black vest and a jean skirt with black leggings and boots. Her dark hair reached the to her back and she had a small piece of crystal around her neck, attached to a black cord. She looked a lot like a regular earth girl but Kevin knew better. She was an Osmosian, just him and his father. Suddenly Kevin didn't feel so much like an outsider. He also noticed another important feature on her. "You're a Plumber." he saw the badge attached to her hip.

Alona nodded, her slim hand touching the badge with great care. "Yep. I've been one for the past three years," she looked up at him and gave him a knowing smile. "From the rumors I've been hearing says that you're one too."

Kevin nodded, taking out his own badge. "Yep, I got this last year." he was proud of his badge and took great care of it. Just like his father had taken care of his when he was still alive. So knowing he had family that were also Plumbers was great news for him.

"I'm glad to see you two are bonding so well," Marvin came over and grinned at the two, making sure everyone saw and heard him. "I swear, it's just like the old days when Devin would come up for a visit and you two would play together all the time. Such wonderful memories." he gave a nostalgic sigh that had Alona groaning.

"You're overdoing it again, dad." she put one hand on her hip and sent a look to her father, one that said tone it down.

"I can't help it," Marvin ushered his daughter over to them, eager to get the two cousins to meet.

"I've been waiting for you two to see each other again for a long time and I'm just excited."

"Whatever," Alone only rolled her eyes and held her hand out for Kevin to take. "I'm Alona Levin, your cousin. It's nice to meet you." she gave him a gentle smile and Kevin lifted his hand for her to shake as well.

"Same here. Nice to meet ya." he was dumbfounded. He had not known his father had a brother and he didn't know he had a cousin.

"Were you able to find the bathroom without any trouble, sweetie?" he heard his mother ask her. Well at least he knew why she was upstairs. He had been a little worried that she was in his room. Sure she was family but he had things in there that he didn't want other to see. Such as a certain picture he has of him and Gwen that is hidden under his pillow.

Alona nodded, "Yes, auntie."

Marvin cleared his throat, signaling for everyone to listen to him. "Now that everyone knows each other, I was hoping we could have some tea and cookies and talk, just like a real family." Kevin had no problems with it. He wanted to know more about his family. His mother didn't know much about his father's home world or about their powers. Everything he knows Kevin had to learn through experience and from what others have said.

"Sure, sounds good to m-" he was cut off by his phone ringing and Gwen's voice coming in.

"Kevin, there's been a spotting of Forever Knights in the warehouse just outside of town. We need you to go over there and stop them. According to my data they seem to be -Mom! I told you once I give him the information he needs I'll come to dinner! - Sorry about that. Anyways they seem to be stealing something to help power their weapons. We're counting on you Kevin."

With that said, Kevin put his badge away and ran to his car. "Sorry but we'll have to cut this little reunion short." he had his keys out and was already jumping in his car's driver side door.

"No it's not," Alona jumped into the seat next to him. "You're not the only Plumber here. If you're going than so am I." she grinned, already getting her badge out to track the Forever Knights.

"But...!" Kevin didn't know how he could argue with this girl. He just met her literally five minutes ago and he didn't know how to talk to her without making her mad.

"Excellent." Marvin came next and hoped into the backseat. "I was hoping to see you both in action and it looks like my wish came true." he was grinning in the back and by the way they were, said neither one of them were getting out of Kevin's car.

With a long sigh Kevin turned to his mother and shrugged. "I'll start dinner. You three go do what you have to do." she reassured him that she wasn't angry and with that they were off to fight.

* * *

><p>It didn't take them long to find the Forever Knights and Kevin absorbed the matter from his car to start the battle off. He busted through the door, breaking it down and already took down three Forever Knights and he kept going after them. "Not today you creeps!" he punched the next one that fired at him and knocked him and the guy behind him out.<p>

"Stop them!" the leader of the group cried out but it was no use, Kevin could take down these guys with ease.

"Well someone sure likes fighting." Marvin commented, his two arms coated in cement as he punched the few Knights that attacked him. "You're a lot like your father in that aspect. He loved fighting."

Kevin grunted, kicking one Knight in the stomach and throwing him far away. "He did?

"Oh yes," Marvin nodded, punching the next two attackers away from him. "Maybe even too much. He got into a lot of trouble as a child and even more as a teenager. I swear if not for your mother he probably would have ended remaining a hothead for the rest of his life."

Kevin jumped into the air, one arm transformed into a giant hammer and smashed five Forever Knights. "Really?" he smiled, hearing all this information about his dad was amazing and he wanted to hear more.

"Even after joining the Plumbers he was still a hotheaded daredevil that did whatever he wanted. Then he met your mother and suddenly he wanted to settle down and have a family," Marvin jumped on top of the boxes the Knights were trying to steal and looked down at them all. "To this day I still don't know how she did it but I'm not complaining. She calmed him and I can say that my brother was very happy with your mother."

Kevin's mind brought him an imagine of Gwen and how she makes him feel. "I can relate." he smiled, a real happy smile was plastered on his face and he liked it.

"Um...Hello?" Alona fired her blaster at the Knights attacking her and looked over at her father and cousin like they were crazy. "Do you maybe want to have this little family moment in a place where there aren't people trying to kill us?" Seriously, were they that crazy or what?

"You're right." Marvin agreed with his daughter.

"Sorry." Kevin nodded, not wanting to get his cousin angry. Especially not when she has a blaster in her hands and could probably shot him if she wanted too.

"Enough of this!" the leader charged at them, a spear in his hands as he went for Kevin. His spear slashing at his armor, making it slowly start to peel away and reveal his true form. While it wasn't enough to really hurt him, Kevin knew that couldn't let himself get hit with that weapon. It glowed a bright white with red sparks coming out of it. It was an electric spear that was highly advanced and made of pure energy. If he even so much as touches it, he'll absorb it and become a monster all over again. He tried fighting it off but the spear was tougher than his armor and with one final strike he was thrown to the ground and the matter he absorbed was gone and he was defenseless. "Now I've got you." Kevin watched in slow motion as the spear came down to harm his body but all it would really wound would be his mind.

"Not happening." the spear never reached him because Alona got in between them. Her body seemed to give off a faint glow, almost like she was shining as she held the spear in her hand and the energy was beginning to flow into her.

"No, Alona! Let go!" he tried to get her away but the energy was all over her and he couldn't touch her without absorbing some himself. He couldn't do that. He swore he would never absorb energy again unless it was a life or death matter.

"Relax," Marvin appeared next to him, a calm look on his face. "You don't need to worry about Alona."

Kevin looked at him like he was a madman. "Are you insane? That's your daughter and she's absorbing energy. An Osmosian isn't supposed to absorb energy or else -!" Marvin put a hand up, making Kevin stop his mumbling.

"I know but Alona is special." that calm look never left his face.

Kevin still thought he was crazy. "How? Energy is deadly to us. Using it only makes our people go insane!"

"Just watch." Marvin instructed and Kevin reluctantly did. He could only hope that they wouldn't have to chase her down like Ben and Gwen had to do with him.

Alona was still shining but even more now. Her body seemed to glow and she held a small grin on her face, one that Kevin could see was more amusement than that of a crazed person. He's seen enough to know the difference. What was weird were that her eyes didn't change. They still had the same look to them as they did when he first saw her. "Sorry but I'm not going to let you fry my cousin after I only just met him. What kind of family would I be if I let that happen." she joked, kicking the Knight away and doing a small flip in the air to put some distance between them. Kevin could tell by how her body moved that she was like Gwen, she knew karate. "Now it's time for you to get a taste of your own medicine!" with that she put her two hands together and fired a ball of energy at the leader and the rest of the Knights inside the warehouse. The whole time she acted like she always did, her personality never changed and neither did the look in her eyes. She remained the same.

"How...?" Kevin couldn't believe what he was seeing. He was so sure that an Osmosian was never supposed to absorb energy or else risking losing their sanity. Yet he was watching one now and she seemed pretty sane to him.

"Alona is a special girl," Marvin patted his nephew's shoulder in reassurance. "You're looking at the only Osmosian that can absorb energy and not go insane." Kevin stared at the girl that was his very own cousin and gaped in amazement as her body stopped glowing and the energy was completely out of her body and she was as her father said, completely sane and normal.


	2. Chapter 2

It was around midnight and Ben and Gwen had just finished their family's dinner party and were now walking down the empty sidewalk and on their way to Kevin's house. "So what are we doing again?" Ben asked, arms crossed behind his head as he followed his cousin down the empty street of their hometown.

"Well I'm giving Kevin the leftover cake from the dinner," she gestured to the container in her hands. "I'm not sure what you're doing." she sent him an amused look as they continued down the road to Kevin's house.

"Well I knew that but I meant why are we walking?" Ben asked, looking straight ahead and bored. "I mean I could have driven us or you could use your powers and just transport us over." he pointed out the obvious.

"Ben, not everything needs to be solved with our powers," she scolded him for trying to take the easy way out. "Besides I want to surprise him." she smiled down at the piece of cake she saved him from dinner and hoped this would cheer him up from the fight they had a few hours ago.

"Why?" Ben didn't understand why she wanted to surprise him so badly.

Gwen shot him a look that said he was clueless. "Because I want to cheer him up. We left on bad terms and I'm hoping this will help us, you know get back onto the good side of our relationship." she once more looked down at the cake and smiled. She had been worried all night about him, even more when the alarm went off and said there was a Forever Knight attack. She knew Kevin could take care of him but that didn't mean that she didn't worry.

"Relationship?" Ben was confused before a wide grin spread out onto his face. "Which is what exactly?" he teased, loving how the two of them became so uncomfortable when asked questions like this.

"Ben!" Gwen glared at him, warning him not to annoy her.

"Sorry," he apologized before she used her powers on him. "But come on, you guys so obvious like each other. I mean why else would Kevin get so upset about you refusing to hang out with him. Which reminds me, are you almost done with that project of yours. I swear if you wait any longer I'm going to be at the mercy of an angry Kevin Levin." he gave a small shiver, not liking the thought of facing an angry, paranoid, jealously raged boyfriend. He would have to go Way Big to just run away from the angry teen.

Gwen laughed at how her cousin was acting. "I'm almost done. I just need one more piece of material and I'll be all finished and ready to present it." she smiled happily up at the moon, a content look on her face.

Ben got a mischievous look on his then. "Yep and once you're finished you can tell Kevin all about how much you miss him and love him." he made kissing noises and acting like a complete idiot.

"Knock it off, Ben." Gwen called out, ready to use her power to send him flying all the way back home.

He just laughed. "Relax, I was only -" both stopped at the end of the sidewalk when Kevin's car drove past them and they caught a glimpse of him and a girl with long black hair in the front seat next to him. He didn't see them but they saw him and the girl he was with. "Was that Kevin? Who's the girl?" Ben questioned, eyes trying to get a better look but the car was going too fast for him to get another look.

Gwen gulped and gripped the container harder. "Good question." she felt a feeling of dread enter her as she watched the speeding car drive away from her and leaving her feeling cold and confused.

* * *

><p>Kevin felt like he was freaking out. Not only did he just find out that his deceased father has a twin brother and he has a cousin but said cousin could absorb energy and not go crazy. "What the heck is going on?" he asked, eyes going from the road to Alona to the road and back to Alona.<p>

Alona only shrugged, crossing her arms and leaned back into the seat. "You kept driving like this and we'll crash."

"Forget that," Kevin could have cared less about his car, surprisingly. He just wanted to know how Alona could do what she did and wondered if he could do the same. "You absorbed energy back there but you never lost it. What I want to know is how?"

"It's quite simple," Marvin was in the back, lying down on his back and relaxing. "Alona is a special girl. The only one on our whole planet that can use energy and not lose her sanity."

"Yeah, I got that already." Kevin gritted his teeth, trying to keep his anger from getting the better of him and not send them crashing into a tree. "Again, I want to know how!" he wanted answers and he wanted them now.

Marvin sighed and finally sat up. "It's complicated." he looked up and saw Kevin giving him a look in the mirror, one that said he didn't care what he said. He just wanted answers. "Our planet is usually a peaceful one. We have problems like everyone else but usually we don't have to worry about attacks from outsiders."

"That so?" this was news to Kevin. He's been getting attacked by people all his life so hearing that his planet was a calm one was a big surprise.

Marvin grinned, "Well would you invade a planet where the inhabitants could suck out all your powers and drain you dry?"

"But I thought we weren't supposed too?" Kevin asked.

"We aren't, but we usually keep that information to ourselves. Only a few know of our weaknesses and secrets," Marvin grinned before becoming serious. "However there are a few that wish to harm us and learned of our weakness." his face turned grim and Kevin almost regretted asking. Almost. "One day our planet was attacked by a man named Aggregor." Kevin scoffed, not surprised when he heard that name. "I take it you know him?"

"You could say that," Kevin held a blank look on his face for a moment. "My friends and I fought him when he was trying to steal some ultimate power. He absorbed a lot of other powers from different types of aliens and became very powerful. He would have killed us if I hadn't absorbed Ben's power from his watch and stopped him."

Alona gasped, eyes wide in shock. "You absorb the power of the Omnitrix?"

"Ultimatrix." He corrected them, not too many knew about Ben's new watch. "But yeah, I absorbed his powers and got turned into a monster because of it. I went on a rampage, going after everyone that wronged me and after those with energy that I could take for myself," his grip on the wheel tightened and his eyes glared at the road ahead of him. He hated thinking of the time in his hideous form and all the things he did. "If not for my friends I probably would still be stuck in that form." he gave a bitter laugh. Had it not been for Gwen and her resolve not to give up on him than Ben would have surely killed him. Not that he blamed him. If he had been in Ben's shoes he probably would have made the same decision. "I pretty much owe them my whole life." He did owe Ben, but he knew the one he really owed was Gwen. She was determined not to give up on him and even when he was mutated she still cared deeply for him. She never gave up on him and it was because of those feelings that he was able to change his life around.

"I see," Alona looked him over and held a strange look in her eyes, one that Kevin didn't understand.

"Then you are like the rest of our people," Marvin added in. "Aggregor was the same. His desire for power caused him to attack us in hopes he could become stronger," his eyes darkened over as he continued. "You see, Alona's mother and my wife was pregnant at the time. Aggregor hoped if he absorbed her power while she was with child it would help him become stronger."

Kevin gulped, almost worried to ask what happened next. "Then what?" It was obvious that Alona survived, she was sitting right next to him but what about her mother.

Marvin looked down at his daughter who was staring out the car window. "We were lucky and the Plumbers arrived and fought him off. I wasn't sure what became of him after that but it seems his thirst for power has never died."

"That's an understatement." Kevin muttered to himself.

"As for Alona and my wife," Marvin continued on. "She survived but the sudden shock of the attack caused her to give birth to Alona who was two months premature. It was because of this that her powers were not able to become complete and she could not absorb matter like the rest of us." They finally arrived at the house but no one moved from their seats.

"What?" Kevin parked the car outside his house but he wasn't going to leave until he got some answers. "But she's a Plumber and she can fight. I saw her." he had never heard of an Osmosian that couldn't absorb.

"It's true she can absorb matter but nothing like we can do," Marvin demonstrated by placing his hand to the glass and absorbing it, letting it consume his body fully. "Alona can only absorb to her hand and that is all." by this point she huffed and muttered something under her breathe. "We had believed that she would never be able to defend herself but one day when robbers broke into our home and nearly killed our people somehow Alona was able to absorb the energy from their blasters and used it against them. Since then she has used this power in battle many times and has never once lost her sanity."

Kevin was in awe as he stared at the girl next to him. "How?" he needed to know.

Marvin smirked. "You'd have to ask her. Alona refuses to share the secret with any of us."

"How come?" Kevin asked, secretly hoping he could learn something from her answer. "I mean if you know how to absorb energy and not go crazy than why not share it with everyone. Why keep it to yourself?" If he had that ability he would want to show everyone how strong he was.

Alona gave him a once over and just shrugged her shoulders. "Cause I wanna." with that said she got out of the car and headed into the house. That was the signal that this conversation was done.

* * *

><p>Kevin had gotten just barely any sleep last night, his mind kept him up all night with questions to ask Alona but by the time morning came and she was awake he only got the cold shoulder and a "I don't want to talk about it." So with his hopes of getting an answer as low as dirt he decided to clear his head by fixing up his car. He was always in a better mood after that and he was sure after he gave her some time alone and he had enough time to think of how to ask her nicely than he would get the answers he desired. While it was true that he swore off all energy absorbing just the thought of being able to use that power and fight his enemies made his body come alive in anticipation. He knew when he was mutated that he was a monster but he was a monster with power that gave everyone who challenged him a run for their money. He didn't want the insane monster brain and body that came with it, but he did want the power. He needed the power if he was going to keep his dream alive.<p>

"Kevin?" speaking of dreams. He heard her voice as clear as day and slide out from under his car to see her smiling down at him, holding some container in one hand and a tray of drinks in the other. He felt a little nervous around her right now. With everything that happened last night he had forgotten to call her and with the little he had gotten was of him dreaming that she would yell and scream at him for being a bad boyfriend. Sure most guys would had just laughed off the dream but Kevin had never cared for anyone like he does Gwen. She is special to him and if he has a bad dream like that it worries him like crazy.

"Hey," he tried to sound normal, hopefully not showing any signs that he was nervous. "What's up?" he swallowed hard. Suddenly talking became difficult.

"Not much," she sat down on her knees in front of him and gave him the container and one of the drinks she had brought. "I saved you a piece of cake from last night's dinner." she smiled gently and Kevin felt all his worries disappear.

He returned the smile and happily ate the piece of cake that she had saved for him. It tasted sweet and while he wasn't the biggest fan of sweets he liked the flavoring. "Thanks. This is good." he showed her that his words were true by him taking another piece of cake and eating it all.

"Glad to hear it." she kept smiling at him and while he found it a little weird that she kept smiling he wasn't complaining. It was better than her yelling at him. "So tell me," he put the now empty plate down next to him and tried not to burp in her face. "How'd the fight go last night?"

He swallowed the burp down and leaned forward, placing his arms on his knees. "Fine. Forever Knights were beaten and we'll probably not hear of them for a while." he knew how their system worked. They lay low for a while after a few of them get beaten and then they suddenly reappear to try and do whatever it is that Forever Knights do.

"Good to know," Gwen nodded her head, biting the inside of her cheek.

Kevin raised an eyebrow in confusion. "You ok?" she was acting different.

She seemed surprised by his question. "I'm fine." she breathed out. "How about you? Are you ok?"

He was starting to get really confused. "Yeah, I'm good." he didn't understand why she was acting so strange. "They're just Forever Knights. Nothing major like Vilgax or Aggregor." if she was worried about him being hurt by the Knights than she was wasting her time. Even if Alona and Marvin not gone with him, he still could have easily defeated them.

"I know, I was just checking," she was still biting the inside of her cheek and Kevin was starting to wonder if she got her mind taken over or something. "Do you mind if I ask you something?" she was playing with her fingers and Kevin was pretty sure that her mind got taken over and it was making her act like a weirdo.

"Shot." he drank the soda she brought him, happy it wasn't a smoothie for a change.

"Well...I...uh...?" she seemed at a loss for words, a first for Kevin and he was sure it was a first for her. "So," she cleared her throat and seemed to get her voice back. "Ben told me he saw you with a girl yesterday."

"A girl?" Kevin gave her a confused look.

Gwen knew she stunk at lying but she had to keep trying. "Yeah, he said she was pretty and other stuff so I was just wondering..."

"If?" Kevin urged her to continue.

Gwen however didn't seem like she wanted too. "If...I have any reason to worry." she mumbled the last part to herself.

"What you say?" Kevin didn't understand a word she just said. It was too low for him to hear.

"Never mind," she shook her head. "Just forget that last part, but tell me. Were you with a girl last night?" she gulped, almost scared of the reply.

Kevin looked even more confused and frowned. "No, I wasn't." he couldn't tell if she was being jealous or paranoid but he knew that he didn't like how it sounded like she was accusing him. "I came right home after I fought those Forever Knight. Want to ask my mom to be sure I'm not lying." he never thought Gwen would be accusing him of anything but she was and it really did sound like she was accusing him of cheating. He would never do that.

Ok, so he sort of had a tiny little crush on Charmcaster girl but he was depressed and he wasn't thinking straight, and maybe he says other girls are hot but Gwen was his girlfriend and Kevin Levin does not cheat. He steals and fights and does other things that are probably illegal but he does not cheat on girls.

"No," Gwen just gave a small grin and stood up. "No, I believe you. I was just checking because you know how Ben can be with his crazy stories." she gave a nervous laugh and walked out of the garage, leaving a very confused Kevin.

"Ok...?" he didn't understand what just happened.

"What was that all about?" Alona appeared right after Gwen left. She had been watching from the door, unnoticed, and was just as confused as her cousin was.

"Beats me," Kevin shrugged, finishing his drink and threw it in the trash. "She's usually pretty normal but now she's talking crazy. Accusing me of all this weird stuff. I swear, I do not get girls." he huffed out, going back under his car where everything made sense.

"So that's your girlfriend? I believe you're mother said her name is Gwen, right?" she asked and all she received was a grunt as her reply. "She's pretty. You must be really happy since she likes you enough to get jealous so easily like that." Kevin froze, sliding out from under the car and gave her a look of disbelief.

"What do you mean?" he sat back up, mind still trying to wrap the thought of Gwen being jealous. He was the one that got jealous, because he was worried she would leave him, but she is the sensible one who always remains calm. Sure there was that one time when she told that Jennifer girl that she would peel her like a grape but he was somewhat at fault because he kept calling her hot and because that girl had literally come onto him. "What would Gwen be jealous of? I don't even talk to other girls unless I gotta." he wiped his hands clear of the grease he got on them.

Alona was now the one to give him a look of disbelief. "You really don't know why she's jealous? Even after that last question she asked you?" she was trying to lead him there, hoping he would understand the real reason.

Kevin thought over everything Gwen had just said to him but he came up blank. "Nope." he didn't have a clue.

Alona had to resist the urge to slap him upside the head to knock some sense into him. "You're not the sharpest tool in the shed, are you?" she put her hands on her hips and shook her head.

Kevin glared. "Hey, what's that supposed to me?" he didn't like being called stupid.

Alona just sighed. "Forget it," she walked over to the passenger's door. "Come on, we need to talk."

"About?" Kevin asked, wondering why every girl he knew suddenly wanted to act weird and talk to him.

"About your powers," she opened the car door and gave him one last look. "And mine." she said softly but he still heard her.

That was enough to get Kevin running to his car and starting it up, driving it right out of the garage.

* * *

><p>Gwen let out a long side from her spot in Ben's car, a frown stuck on her face since she got in.<p>

"So...how'd it go?" Ben asked from his stop behind the wheel. They were driving to Mr. Smoothy to help cheer up Gwen, and because he was craving some smoothies for himself.

"Great," she rolled her eyes and her frown deepened. "Except for the part where he blatantly lied to me when I asked him if he was with another girl." she was angry at her boyfriend for lying to her and acting like she was the crazy one when it was him who was crazy. "Seriously, I mean can you believe he lied right to my face?"

"I'm sure he had his reasons, Gwen." Julie replied, trying to cheer her friend up. Ben had been smart enough to bring her along so if he said anything stupid than Julie could fix and help Gwen.

"Like what?" Gwen just scoffed and kept her eyes focused on the window.

"Like because he's Kevin Levin and he lies." Ben said, trying to remind them that even though he changed he is an ex-con and it's hard to break old habits.

"Ben!" Both Gwen and Julie glared at him for what he said and frowned.

"I'm positive Kevin has his reasons. He doesn't seem like the type to cheat," Julie looked all the way into the back and gave her a reassuring smile. "Besides he likes you way to much too cheat. Trust me, I can tell."

Gwen felt herself cheering up at her friend's words. "You really think so?"

"Ship! Ship!" The two girls laughed at how Ship decided to add in the conversation.

"That means yes, we do." Julie patted Ship's head who purred in happiness.

"Hey look," They had stopped at a red light when Ben called their attention. "It's Kevin." he pointed to the green car that was passing them by and thankfully he was all alone. "See, it's like we said. Kevin is not cheating on y-" his words died on his lips when the girl from last night suddenly sat up in the front seat and seemed to be talking with Kevin. "Uh...?" Ben, Julie, and Ship all turned around to look at a horrid and shocked Gwen. "You know what? Just forget I said anything." Ben sank lower in his seat incase Gwen through any blasts.

* * *

><p>Unaware that his friends had seen him, Kevin and Alona drove on, talking amongst themselves.<p>

"Are you sure it's under the seat?" Alona asked, bending back down to search under her seat.

"Yeah, I left in there last night before I came home." Kevin replied, watching the road and speeding through every red light that they came across. Alona had promised to explain things once they got to their destination and he was wasting no time in getting there.

"Well I don't see it," she huffed, coming back up and shook her head. "You probably left your cell in your room."

"Whatever," Kevin only shrugged it off. He had been planning on calling Gwen and tell her everything that has happened but it looked like that was going to have to wait until later. "Now tell me again, why are we driving out into the middle of nowhere?" he knew where they were going. He was going to take them to the same camp site where they found Eunice. It was a nice secure area that no one really visited so they would have the privacy that Alona seemed to want.

"Because if we're really going to have this talk, it's better if we're alone and out of earshot of others." the look on her face said he wasn't going to get anymore out of her, so he put his car at top speed and didn't stop until they were in the middle of the forest and completely away from civilization. "I take it you like to go fast." she gave him an amused smile.

Kevin just nodded and waited. "So...you gonna talk or what?"

Alona only rolled her eyes and got out of the car. "Follow me," she instructed and reluctantly he did. They walked away from the car, going in deeper to the woods and covered in more by the trees. "Now before we talk about my powers, I want to talk about yours." she turned around to face him, a serious look on her face. "I've seen you in action, you can fight. Your powers are developing at a good rate and from all the stories and rumors about Ben 10 and his amazing all powerful team really leaves me wondering why you want to learn how to use energy. Even after you've mutated three times from it."

Kevin gasped, "How did you -"

"Your mother told me," she cut him off before he could finish. "She's proud of what you're doing but she's also very worried that you'll absorb energy again and go another rampage and this time you may not come back to her."

Kevin stared hard at the ground, his fists clenched at his sides. He knew his mother worried about him but he didn't know she worried that much. "I know that. I know how dangerous me absorbing energy is but I still want too."

"Why?" Alona wanted a real answer from him.

"Because..." Kevin wasn't sure how he could phrase this without it sounding halfhearted or fake. He needed her to see that he was serious about this whole matter. "You've heard the stories about Ben and our whole team and how we fought against the strongest guys out there," she nodded her head. "Well every time I think about our old battles I can't help but think that there could have been something more for me to do. Something better to help the team. The thought of being deadweight bothers me so much that I'm ready to punch the closest thing to me. I want to get stronger but I want to do it without mutating or become some insane freak." He took in a deep breath and looked up to stare his cousin dead in the eyes. "I want to help protect the people I care about. Even if they can take care of themselves, I still want to protect them." The word "Gwen" was on the tip of his tongue but he kept himself from saying her name. It was awkward talking to others about his feelings for Gwen. He was more of a man of action than a guy that talks about his thoughts and feelings.

Alona gave him a small smile. "I understand what you're talking about," she leaned against the tree and looked up at the clear sky. "The thought of being useless bothered me a lot too when I was growing up." she stared at her hand next. "You heard my father. I couldn't absorb matter like the others on our planet and it was believed that I would never be able to fight or defend myself or my loved ones. I felt so useless." she held a bitter look on her face.

"But then you discovered you could use energy." Kevin reminded her.

Alona only shook her head. "I think it's time I finally tell someone my big secret." she grabbed hold of her crystal and took in a deep breath. "Here," she let it go and tossed Kevin a blaster. "Fire that at me and look carefully at my body."

Kevin looked at the blaster and back at his cousin. "If you say so." he fired, watching a red blast come from it and heading straight for Alona. He paid close attention to her movements just like she told him, and saw that she held both hands to the blast and took in a deep breath. Her body seemed to glow like it did last night and in a flash she fired the blast right back and into a tree.

"So, what did you see?" she asked him.

Kevin looked her over from head to toe and frowned. Honestly he didn't really notice anything different about her. "Your body looked shiny." That was the only difference.

"Exactly." she pulled the necklace from her neck and tossed it to him. "Now absorb that." he did but the crystal was so small it only came up to his elbow. He couldn't really see the crystal on his arm but he felt it and saw his arm was glowing.

"No way." it suddenly clicked in his head.

"Looks like you figured it out," she walked towards him, one hand on her hip and the other touching his crystallized arm. "Crystals are like us, they absorb energy all the time. It's one reason why they never lose their shine. You're father actually taught me that."

Kevin blinked in surprise but still smiled. "My dad?"

Alona nodded, "He did, and because he did I was able to think of using the crystal to help me absorb energy. You see, I encase my body with the crystal. It's only a thin case since I can't absorb like you and my father but it's enough for me spread the energy I absorb around my body and use it against my enemies."

Kevin was amazed. "That's how you stay normal. You don't absorb it into your body. You absorb around it." he had never heard of anyone doing that before and in his mind it sounded a little farfetched but it obviously worked if Alona was still sane.

She nodded once again. "You bet," she moved two steps back. "Now it's time for you to try." she took the blaster away from him.

"You're going to have me absorb the energy form the blaster?" he gasped, not really sure of this plan.

"Actually we're going to have you absorb something a little less dangerous." A new voice joined them and Kevin was surprised to see who it was.

"Max?" Gwen and Ben's grandfather was here but he didn't know why.

"Hi, Kevin. I see Alona here has decided to share her secret with you." he held an amused smile on his face as he spoke to the teen.

"Wait! You know?" he thought no one else knew about this.

"Sort of. Alona never told me her secret. I just figured it out on my own when I was helping her train to become a Plumber." he answered.

"I needed someone who I could trust not to take advantage of me and be able to take me down if I went crazy and I remember your father saying how strong Max Tennyson was so I thought he was the best person to go to for help." Alona explained the next question she was sure Kevin was going to ask.

"Now that we have everything out in the open, I think it's time for you to get started," Max pulled out a blue containment ball from his front pocket and held it out for Kevin. "It has ball contains a small amount of raw energy. We want you to absorb and then fire it back out."

Kevin gulped, "All of it." his voice was low and he felt like he was going to have a panic attack.

"No, just until the crystal on your arm is full," Alona stepped closer, putting a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "We'll start you out slow and get more into it as the training goes on. Kevin, I promise you that we won't let anything happen to you. You're not alone on this. You're with family."

At her words, Kevin felt better. She was right. He was no longer alone, he had family and friends that cared about him and who he wanted to keep safe at all costs. "Alright, I got this." he put his hand on the blue ball and took in a deep breath just like Alona did. He calmed down his beating heart and with his powers absorbed the energy inside and felt it travel up his arm until he stopped it once the crystal he wore was full. "Whoa!" he gasped in amazement at how his arm was glowing and he could feel the power inside it but his mind was still clear.

"You did good." Alona commented with a wide grin. "Now release it back out and make sure you release all of it." he listened to her and with three blasts he knocked down most of the trees that were surrounding them. He felt great. He loved his power but knowing he could do more was amazing. "Is all the energy out of you?"

"Yeah, it's all gone." he felt it all go out of him when he fired the three blasts.

"You need to always do that when you use your energy powers," she suddenly got a serious look on her face and Kevin listened to every word. "If you absorb energy and then get rid of the crystal around your body while you still have energy in it than that power will go directly to your mind and it will cause you to go insane." he gulped, the thought of losing his mind did frighten him. "Remember all the energy you absorb has to be released before you stop using the crystal or else you will go crazy."

He understood the risks but he would make sure that never happened. "I get it. I need to be careful or else I lose it."

"Well if you understand than I think it's time we move on." Alona smiled. She was glad to see her cousin taking this so serious and doing well his new training. She had a feeling that this training session will be very interesting.


	3. Chapter 3

It's been little over a week since Kevin started his training with his cousin Alona and using the power of the crystal. Max has been there for every training session to make sure that Alona had backup if Kevin lost it or needed some assistance. They started him out slow. He did only one arm the first time, the next he did both arms, and from there he moved on until he could encrust his hold body in crystal and absorb a lot more energy. He felt great doing it too. Being able to absorb the energy and still keep his sanity was amazing. He felt like he could fight Vilgax one on one and beat him with ease.

This was his first day absorbing it all until his whole body was covered and he was ready to get started. "You ready?" Alona was running at him, she was using her own crystal to attack him with energy blots which he was supposed to absorb and fire right back at her.

Kevin grinned, absorbing the crystal figurine in his hand that Max had brought from home. Actually it was one of Ben's mother figurines that they borrowed for most of the day. They put up a hologram so she wouldn't notice it was missing. "I was born ready." he ran ahead, dodging the first two bolts but catching the third. He needed to act like this was a real battle or else his body wouldn't be able to get use to the energy blasts suddenly coming into his body. He started out just absorbing them slowly but in battle no one shots at you in slow motion. They shot to kill and he needed to get his body used to it or else he could end up doing damage to his body and his mind.

"Take this!" he charged right at her. A fist full of energy and aimed for her head but she jumped away in time for it to only hit the tree and shatter it.

"Remember, when you attack with any part of your body keep the energy surrounding it or else the crystal will break!" she reminded him, firing more energy blots at him.

"Yeah, I got it!" he jumped back, absorbing more of the energy she was throwing at him.

"Get ready, cause I'm gonna blast ya right outta this stupid forest!" he jumped into the air, firing two blasts at Alona. She jumped away, dodging both of them and firing another blast at him. He absorbed it all and fired one last big blot at her.

Alona gasped, jumping away from the attack and just barely dodging it. "You've gotten better." She stood back up on her feet and wiped dirt off her body. She had no more energy in her and her necklace was back around her neck instead of around her body.

Kevin only grinned at his cousin. "Better? I'm great. This is amazing. I've never felt so powerful before!" he was sort of lying. He felt powerful once like this before but he wasn't himself during that time. He was a monster that wanted to harm and kill the ones he cared about. That monster he became wanted to hurt Gwen and he vowed he would never let that happened again.

Alona only rolled her eyes. "Well if you feel so great than why don't you take off the crystal armor?" she could see how his body had lost most of the shine that he had no more energy in him.

Kevin only shrugged and took off the armor he was coated in. "Ok, but I don't see why you can't just-" the armor was off and suddenly his body felt heavy but his mind felt as light as a feather. The world started to spin and his legs could no longer hold him up. He fell forward to the ground.

"Whoa, there," or he would have if Max hadn't caught him. "Take is easy there partner." he threw one of Kevin's arms over his shoulder and dragged his body to a tree.

"Oh man, do I have a headache." he held his head in one hand and tried to get the world to stop spinning.

"Just another side effect you'll have to get used to," Alona came to sit in front of him. "It takes a lot of concentration and stamina to keep the energy we absorb from entering our body. While we're in the Crystal armor we feel great, full of power, but once the armor goes our body feels the effect of that power. We're putting a big strain on our bodies so we feel very weak after we stop using the energy." Kevin only groaned at this new information. So even if he learned to master it he would end up feeling lousy right after. "Don't worry. Over time your body gets used to it and the worst you feel is a mild headache." he nodded, happy that he wouldn't feel weak all the time after this.

"Right now you need to rest and get your body back up to speed." she helped him stand back on his feet and walked him over to the Rust Bucket. One good thing about having Max there with them was a good place to rest and relax once training was over.

"Whatever." he reached inside his pocket and grabbed his phone. There were no missed calls or messages from his mother or Gwen. His mother knew what he was doing so she only called a few times, but Gwen was a different story. She called in the beginning, asking how he was or if he wanted to meet her for lunch at her school and every time Alona told him no. She said that he needed to be completely focused or else the crystal would break and he'll go crazy. So thinking about Gwen or hanging out with her was a big no-no. She said once he got better than he could spend as much time with her as he wanted, but for now he needed to focus on his training.

Max came out of his RV with a plate full of food to feed the hungry teens. "I think this calls for some good old fashion goat eyeball casserole." he showed them a plate full of what looked like a giant red and purple gunk with eyes staring at them. "It has a lot of protein in it so it'll make him feel better in no matter."

Alona nearly screamed and Kevin was ready to fall over again.

"Um...I don't think so Max but thank you anyways," she put on a smile, or at least tried to. The food he was serving was freaking her out and she was fighting every instinct in her not to run away. "But I need Kevin to eat food that his body will be used to eating after he uses his new power." She has eaten Max's food before and she swore she heard it talking after she took the first bite. "Even though your food is really good and I'm sure full of protein but I doubt Kevin will be eating it all the time. You see if he eats this now and then eats a hamburger after using his powers again it could damage his body." she was lying through her teeth but he didn't need to know that.

Max had a thoughtful look on his face. "Hmm? Well I guess you're right." he put the plate down on the table and grinned. "Oh well, more for me." he plopped in an eyeball and chewed, a little drool coming down his face.

Alona and Kevin tried to keep their lunch down.

"Well we'll be going now," She pulled her cousin's arm with her and when they were out of ear shot dragged his slow moving body to his car. "Run before he tries to send us off with doggy bags!" Kevin didn't need to be told twice and ran as fast as his body would let him.

Alona shuddered once they reached his car. "I swear it think it blinked at me." she held on hand to her stomach, trying not to think about the food that Max seemed to love eating.

"Yeah, the old guy loves eating the weirdest things." Kevin gave a shudder of his own. Max was a great guy but he cooked the weirdest things.

He pulled out his car keys and stepped around to open his car door but Alona stepped in front of him, holding her hand out to him. "Keys."

"What?" Kevin looked at her like she was crazy. "There's no way I'm letting you drive. Only I drive the car!" There was nothing in this world that would get him to let anyone else drive his car.

"You're ready to fall over from exhaustion." she reminded him, pointing to his shaking legs that seemed ready to fall over any minute. "You can't drive in your condition." she tried reaching for the keys but he pulled them out of her grasp.

"I'm fine." he pushed passed her and walked to his car. At least he tried too. His body was still so weak from training that he couldn't walk in a straight line and nearly fell over again. He had to lean against his car to keep himself from falling over and kissing the dirt.

"Come on," Alona came over to his side, her hand still out for him to give her the keys. "Think about it. You let someone else drive for one day or you drive and end up crashing your car and having to fix it. Thus taking time away from your training." she helped him gain back his balance and kept him from falling over.

Kevin let out a loud groan. He knew she was right but the thought of someone else driving his car made him nervous and antsy. "Alright, but I swear if there's even a nick-

"You'll make mincemeat out of me," she waved him off, already knowing what he was going to say. "Now come on, I'm starving." she grabbed his keys and hoped in the driver side.

Kevin stood back and watched, a deep frown on his face. "I better not regret this." he mumbled before getting slowly in his car and crossed his arms with a big huff of annoyance. He still wasn't sure about this.

* * *

><p>Gwen felt like she was going crazy. So far she's seen her boyfriend with a different girl than her two times and not once this week did he even try and contact her. Sure she's called him a few times but he always said he was too busy to hang out. She swore she heard a girl's voice in the background when she tried calling him last time. Hearing that and the fact that her boyfriend didn't want to spend time with her was starting to really get to her.<p>

She didn't understand what she did wrong. Sure she had just said the same thing last week about not being able to hang out but at least she still talked to him. Kevin was basically ignoring her at this point. She even tried calling his house, which by the way took her forever to look up in to phone book, and when his mother answered she gave the same answer as her son. He was busy.

"Would you relax?" Ben was sipping down a smoothie. Once again he had taken her and Julie to Mr. Smoothy but Gwen was too upset to drink the flavored liquid that her cousin seemed to love. "Kevin is probably just trying to make some sort of deal with the girl. I bet this is all about money and he's not cheating on you." he tried once again to help cheer up his cousin but like every other time it didn't work.

"Oh yeah, than why hasn't he called or respond to our messages or even come help us fight the Forever Knights?" Gwen was getting a little paranoid. It wasn't like Kevin to ignore her or a fight. It just wasn't in his nature.

Ben wasn't too worried about any of this. He was used to Kevin acting weird so none of this really bothered him. "We had grandpa with us that night and like I said. He's probably working a deal to make lots of cash so he can't contact us or risk losing the deal and getting one of his fingers cut off."

Gwen gave him a look that said he was stupid. "You watch too much TV, you know that?"

"Seriously, what show is that even from?" Julie asked, wondering where the finger getting cut off even came from.

Ben only shrugged. "I don't know. Some old movie I was watching late last night." he said, chugging down the rest of his smoothie.

"Well I still don't like it." Gwen crossed her arms and glared straight ahead of her. Once she got home she was so grabbing her spell book and heading over to Kevin's house. She swore if he didn't have a good reason for ignoring her she was so going to blast him out of the galaxy.

"Hey look," Julie called out. "It's Kevin's car." she pointed to the green car that was passing by the smoothie place.

"It is, and Kevin..." Ben gasped in amazement. "Kevin is in the passenger's seat!" his mouth fell open and he dropped his smoothie from the total shock of Kevin letting someone else drive his car.

"I think that girl from before is driving it." Julie pointed to the long black hair that she could make out and all three watched as the green car drove on by. What looked like Kevin leaning in closer to the girl, almost as if to kiss her and the girl holding his hand at the wheel.

Gwen watched all of this. First she held a look of shock, then hurt, and that turned into anger. "That is it!" she fired two pink blasts at the ground and growled in anger. "Ben, start your car! We are so following after them and I am going to make Kevin tell me the truth if it's the last thing I do." she stomped over to her cousin's car, teeth grinding in anger and hands glowing pink. She had enough of his lying and she was going to put a stop to it right now.

* * *

><p>Now what was really going on in Kevin's car.<p>

"Careful! You're going to fast!" Kevin held tight to the steering wheel, his hands trying to grab hold of it so he could drive.

"No, I'm not!" Alona cried, trying to push her cousin away. "I'm not even at the speed limit because I'm going under it!" she cried for the hundredth time as she once again tried to get Kevin to let her drive and not have him freak out. "I've heard of backseat driving but this is crazy." she put her hand to his face and pushed him back in his seat, making a sharp turn into the Burger Shack parking lot and ending the battle they were having.

"We're here and your precious car is in one piece." she rolled her eyes, giving him back the keys and getting out of the vehicle. She didn't care if he was still exhausted after their meal, she was so walking home. No way was she going to suffer through the control freak again and she didn't feel like risking her life if he suddenly fell asleep at the wheel.

"I'll be the judge of that." Kevin got out to inspect his car while Alona went off to order them something. He needed to be absolutely sure that there was nothing wrong with his car and it was in top shape as it was before he let her drive it. His heart was still beating a mile a minute from when she drove. He didn't care if she went under the speed limit or didn't hit anything, it was his car and no one else can drive it but him. "Good, everything looks fine." he sighed in relief and leaned against the hood of his car.

"Oh, I'm so glad to hear it." Alona's voice was full of sarcasm as she returned with two bags of burgers and fries and two cups of soda.

"Just shut up and give me my food." he held out his hand for the food he suddenly desired. Worrying about his car made him forget how tired and hungry he was but now that he saw it was fine he just remembered that he was hungry.

"Here," she tossed him his bag and drink and leaned against the hood next to him. "Man, you are way to obsessed with your car. What are you gonna do when you get married and have kids?"

Kevin took a giant bite of his burger, loving the taste and how his body was already starting to feel better. "Simple, I'll-" he was cut off before he could even begin.

"Kevin Ethan Levin!" Gwen was marching towards him, anger clearly shown on her face and Kevin gulped in fear. In the back ground he saw Ben and Julie following and they looked like they felt sorry and scared for him. He wondered if he had any reason to worry.

"Wait, you're name is Kevin E. Levin. As in Kevin Eleven?" Alona had to put a hand over her mouth to keep from laughing. "Dude, you're parents so named you that on purpose. No way was that by coincidence." she couldn't help but let a few giggles out.

Kevin however wasn't hearing any of his cousin's little jokes. He was too busy focusing in on Gwen and how angry she seemed to be. "Uh...Hey Gwen." he stood up right, putting his food away and gulped again. "Is something wrong." he didn't know why but she was angry and it was clear that her anger was aimed at him.

She growled at him and glared a deadly look at him. "Kevin, you have got some never. Not only did you lie and cheat on me but now you're trying to act like you didn't do anything wrong!" she cried. The feelings of betrayal and anger following throughout her body.

Kevin blinked in confusion. What was she talking about? "Cheat on you? I'm not cheating on you! I would never do that!" where on earth she got that he didn't know. There were no other girls that he even talked to in this town.

Gwen wouldn't have any more of his lying. "Don't you dare lie to me. I know you've been cheating on me with her!" she pointed to Alona who for now was sitting back and taking everything in.

"What?" Kevin gaped in horror. "No you don't understand. Alona is-" she cut him off again.

"What? She's what?" Gwen stomped her foot on the ground in anger. "Don't you dare tell me she's just a friend because I know she's not!"

Kevin put his hands up, just in case she tried to hit him. "No, she's not my friend. Well I mean I just she is my friend but she's not my girlfriend."

"Then what, Kevin?" Gwen felt tears coming into her eyes. "Just who is she, Kevin?"

"I'm his cousin." Alona decided it was time to intervene before a fight broke out.

Gwen froze. Her mind shutting down as she stared at the girl. "Excuse me?" did she hear her wrong?

Alona just giggled. "We're cousins. My father and his were brothers so Kevin and I, are cousins."

"R-Really?" Gwen suddenly felt stupid.

Alona nodded, "Yep. Wanna see the picture to prove it?" she held up an old photograph of her and Kevin when they were still babies and their two twin dads each holding their kids and smiling to the camera.

"Uh...I...Uh...?" Gwen suddenly felt really stupid. "But when I asked you if you were with a girl you told me no?"

Kevin nodded, "Yeah, I said I wasn't because I wasn't."

Gwen shook her head, still trying to wrap her mind around all this. "But you were with Alona." she reminded him.

Kevin gave her a look of confusion before his mind finally clicked. "Alona's my cousin. I don't think of her as a girl so of course I said no."

"Hey!" Alona did not like how he said that. "Rude much." she scoffed.

"So you two are really cousins?" Gwen asked the girl standing behind her boyfriend. "Just cousins and nothing more?"

"Yes, we're cousins and that's it." Alona only laughed some more and pushed away from the car. "Now I think you two need some time alone to talk," she walked towards Ben and Julie and pushed them inside the Burger Shack. "Come on, let's give them some privacy." With that it was only Kevin and Gwen in the parking lot.

"Um...?" Gwen still felt like a complete idiot. She let her jealously get the better of her and now she was standing in the middle of a parking lot doing nothing. "I am so sorry." she figured apologizing was the best way to go.

"Whatever," Kevin just leaned back against his car and looked away from her. A frown on his face and hands shoved inside his pockets.

"Kevin," she came to stand beside him. "I really am sorry. I didn't mean to yell at you like that." she put her hand over his that was inside his pocket. She gave a sigh of relief when he took out his hand to hold hers. "I guess I let my jealously get the best of me and I kind of lost it."

Kevin grinned. "Kind of?"

Gwen rolled her eyes. "Ok, so I freaked out." she let out a small pout before continuing. "But can you blame me? I mean, you were avoiding me all week and said you were busy and I saw you guys together in your car all the time so I got scared that you were bored with me and moved on to someone else."

Kevin tightened his hold on her hand. "That would never happen." he leaned his face in closer to hers to stare into her green eyes. "I'll never get bored of you. Gwen, you're the greatest thing that could have ever happened to me. You helped changed me. You gave me a better life, and even when I didn't deserve it you were always there for me," he kissed her cheek and smiled. "There's no way I would screw up the best thing that ever happened to me."

"Kevin," she gave him a smile of her own and leaned forward herself so that they could kiss. It's been over a week since they last saw each other and they missed one another. "I'm really happy to hear you say that but I have to know. Why were you avoiding me?" she asked once they stopped the kiss. She pulled back a piece of hair with her free hand and waited for her reply.

Kevin sighed and went into the long story of Alona and his new powers. "Long story short, Alona's dad and my dad are twins and they came to town to visit about last week. She came on the Forever Knights mission with me and from there I learned she could absorb energy and not lose her sanity. When I asked her about it she said it's because she surrounds herself in a crystal armor and lets the energy flow through until she releases it. I wanted to learn to do the same so for this last week I've been training in the woods with her and Max."

"Grandpa?" she had been surprised to hear that her grandfather was a part of this as well. "I still don't get it. Why even learn this? I thought you didn't like to absorb energy?" she was sure she heard him tell her that.

"I don't, but..." Kevin sighed again, he knew he was going to have to tell her. "We're going to face some tough guys to beat and I know that there may come a time when I need to absorb energy again. If it comes to that I want to keep my sanity."

"But why?" Gwen still wasn't understanding.

"Because I don't want to see you get hurt." he looked her deep in the eyes and grasped both her hands in his. "I want to get stronger so I can take care of you. I know you have powers of your own but I just can't help wanting to keep you safe at all costs."

"Even if it means your risking your sanity?" she asked him.

He didn't hesitate. "Yes."

"Kevin," this time she kissed his cheek. "Thank you. It's really sweet of you to say that." she gave him a gentle smile and the two embraced each other in a hug.

He gave a light laugh. "Glad to hear it."

And just like that they made up.

* * *

><p>"Well it's time for me to get going." Alona was saying her goodbyes. It was the next morning after Kevin and Gwen had their little moment at the Burger Shack and it was time for her to return home. "My vacation time is up and I need to return to my Plumber duties." she was waiting outside the ship that would take her back to base.<p>

"It was nice meeting you." Gwen said. After learning she was Kevin's cousin and not some girl trying to steal her boyfriend the two became fast friends.

"Yeah, when you're back on earth come look us up anytime." Ben told her. He wanted to see her in action. He learned a little later about her powers and now he wanted to see them.

"I will," she nodded, saying she would return. "Now you keep up with your training. I don't want to come back and find out that you lost it." she joked with her cousin.

Kevin just grinned. "Don't worry, I will." he would get back to training as soon as he found some crystal. Ben's mom found out that they were using her figurine and she freaked out on them.

"Good," Alona grinned and she reached into her backpack. "That reminds me." she tossed him a crystal flower. "You'll need this if you'll want to continue training." with that she walked up the ramp of the ship.

Kevin stared at it in confusion. "But isn't this yours?" he didn't want to just take it.

Alona turned around and grinned. "Nope, it was your dads and now it's yours." with that said the ship's door closed and in a matter of seconds flew off into space, leaving a dumbfounded Kevin behind.

"My father?" he stared at the crystal flower in amazement. "Cool." he held it with great care. Suddenly it felt like he was a lot closer to his dad than he was before.

"So Kevin?" Ben caught his attention. "It's great that you got something to help you use your new powers but where are you going to keep it?" he asked a good question. Kevin couldn't carry it on a keychain or necklace because it was too big. It was same size as his hand and it would look weird as a necklace. He couldn't keep it in his pocket because it would break if he got thrown down to the ground, which happens a lot when you're battling enemies that are trying to kill you.

"I think I can fix that." Gwen grabbed the crystal and pulled out some weird kind of keychain. It had rods the same size as a pocket knife attached to the ring of it and each one looked like a different kind of metal. When she touched the crystal to it the crystal seemed to absorb around it and transforming the blank rod into a crystal one. "It's something I've been working on for a while. It has all different kinds of materials on it for you to transform into. This way when we're in a fight you'll always have the matter you need to absorb and fight." she gave him the keychain and was happy to see him take it. "Happy Eighteenth Birthday, Kevin." she kissed his cheek.

Kevin smiled down at his girlfriend. "Thanks." he had forgotten that today was his birthday but his girlfriend hadn't. He now knew that this whole time she was working on her gift for him and not just ditching him.

"You're welcome." the two stared at each other long enough for them to pull each other into another kiss, just like the one they shared in the parking lot last night.

"Ok, this just got awkward." Ben said to himself, walking away from the kissing couple and headed to his car where he planned on driving himself to Mr. Smoothie's and away from all this gross kissing stuff.

**END**


End file.
